New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-05
SOME NEW NOVELS.
AMERICAN. ENGLISH. RUSSIAN.

xATIA. BY COUNT LEON ToLsroL Translated from
the French William $. Gottsbersef 80
CRACKER JOE No Name Series 16mo, PIP S%='.
: Boston, Roberts Brehers-
THE CRUISE OF A w0MAN-HATER by g. ~ S ZION
TAuBAS. 16mo. PIP. 2S0. Boston IicEhor " ""
THE DEVILS HAT. BY MELVILLE PHILIPS. Iono' PIP
32s Boston: Tcknor 20.
Mr. Besapt's latest novel is a story OF strange OK
perlences and it presents problem wh'ch ousn' "
interest the Psychica, Research society," ois'i-
mated young English farmer drinks away MS iahds
These are absorbed by greedy old uncle VINO helpS
nm the prodigality Of the nephew by Leading INN
money on mortgage. As usual in such cases David
Ieigllan conveniently forgets his own part IN tne
accomplishment of his ruin and considers MS uncle
a robber Meeting the old man while in this staue
of mind, just before leaving the country ior aus
traia he is seized By nurderous impulse ana IeiiS
him. He falls and lies rigid. David believes nun
dead. steals a bag of money and box OF deeds
which the victim was taking nome iro.'
the bank and gets away and aoroau'
He has many adventures bat no success nc
goes steadily downward, consorts with criminals
and tramps fails in everything. becomes acqualht-
ed with prisons and presently finds hlmseil
wrecked on cannibal island, where he is preserved
from the oven by German baron who Is studying
the flora and fauna of New-lIeand and has ac-
uuired ascendancy over the natives lie remark
abe circumstance in Davids wanderlngs Is that ne
appears. upbraids him with his crime. and COM
mands him 10 return home and give himself up
These ghostly visitatons at length break nm
down and ON the island he dictates his
confession to the German baron ana
signs the document. After more wanderings,
In the course of which the traditional murderers
III luck pursues him and all who are III bis company
he finds his way home. only TO discover that DIS
uncle is not dead Glow the devil" says David
"can O i've man have ghost ! How can u i've
man send his own ghost to tramp all round tns
word7 Won't he want his own ghost for mhsei
sometimes ?" These are the questions which appear
to the Psychcal Research Society SO obviously MI
Besant does not pretend to answer them
nor to explain how it was that David had
murderers luck, though murderer save IN
Intention. The dominant idea" doctrine
might suffice to account for the haunt Ing
but the i'll luck was p!aiay not subjective Dut oo-
iectiye An evil conscience might conJure up the
ghost but how could it produce the wrecks ana the
conflagrations. the hardships and suferngs which
accompanied David like an evil atmosphere III
reems to us that Mr. Besant has strained proOaoii-
ity too far here and that this feature OF the story
is not good art As to the dongs OF David after his
return, the torment he puts upon his uncle, the
sweetness of Mary the charming heroine, and all
the rest of the story it is not less bright and inter-
Only assume the possibility that the Car of
Russia may plot With professional conspirators
against his own government and MI. Daynes story
"In the Name of the Tar" may be accepted as all
that story ought to be according to the canons OF
modern sensatonalism. For there is In 1t tEor-
ougbly mysterious hero. who Is a lofty philanthr1-
pist when not engaged in consprmg OF
making love. There are equally mysteri-
frNm
Quarters of the globe, meet by appointment at
mountain inn near the monastery of the Grarde
Chartreuse and after exchanging passwords and
signs proceed to the monastery, there TO encounter
vet other land monastic) pioters- Recreation from
conspiracy is taken. too at Monac0--an arrange
ment which affords opportunity for the introduce
ton of reckless gamblers and inscrutabe Russian
princesses of fabulous wealth and ineffabe beauty;
also of the regular English family lowered with
lovely daughters and cubbisb sons, WHEREOF the
girls furnish sweethearts TO the rest OF the dramas
persona and the boys make play IN the inevitable
black sheen appendices. But Mr.. Dayne deserves
credit for one absolutely effect andltis so orig
inal that it ought to be copyrighted party OF
copspirators having met at St. Petersburg for the
express purpose of giving audience to the Car are
surprised by descent of the dreaded Third Section,
notwithstanding the fact that chief of that de-
nartment ia one of the conspirators The owner OF
the house where they have assembled is, however,
equal to the occasion. He leads the way 10 tower
at the side of the mansion They enter 1t by iron
doors. which are fastened after them. The police
lose much time in breaking down these doors.
When at last they get INTO the tower 1T Is empty
One of them looks up and utters a cry OF amaze
mont. The secret is out. The top of the tower Is
open to the sky. The roof opens by machinery
falls back on the walls, and has permitted the
lotlo in he
made their escape. After this no surprise can be
felt when the plotters carry out successful revolt
AGAINST tho Bureaucracy Gin the name OF
the Tar" or when the arch-conspirator who has
passed for an Engishman, proves to be moi only q
Russian but a member of the Imperial family.
This remarkable story is we'll written the charac-
tiers are clearly drawn and sustained, and Its ex-
travagance does not detract from its interest to
any considerable degree.
Tolstoi's "Katia" is a study of young womans
mind. She tells her own simple story. She as a
Young girl loves her guardian, mdde-aged man,
who at first tries to fight against the reciprocal
passop he feels overcoming him. Katia. however
is too strong for him. They marry and are very
happy for time. Then the quiet country
life grows depressing and monOtonous to the
Young wife, She wishes to see the world.
Her husband holds that she ought to have
this experience, and takes her to ST. fetersDurg,
where she is plunged in the whirl of society She
likes the excitement, and while perfectly innocent
she presently makes her husband jealous Is
arrangement follows. She is wounded, he Is en-
FILTERED. Perverseness rises in her. She leaves
him He schools himself and by degrees conquers
his Impotence. Finally she perceives that she
has made mistakes She longs for return to the
original confidence, trust and love. But when she
esays to return to the old conditions she discovers
that her husband has outlived the romantic stage
of love- and that he can again be to her what
he was in the frat years Of their married life. Tho
story ends rather tamely and inconsequently. II
is perhaps the least satisfactory OF the
authors writings. Though containing much